It was a windy (strong and gusty from the south) day and a windy (turns and buoys down the Seneca River) course and when it was over nearly 70 crews had rowed the distance at the Syracuse Invitational. SU’s Men’s Varsity Four A boat won its event over Cornell and eleven others crews. SU’s Women’s Varsity Four A rowed through Buffalo (the crew, not the city) to finish second behind the Big Red’s A four.
Men’s Coach Dave Reischman was the starter for the head race so didn’t get to see his crew perform, but said the guys in the boat reported handling the gusts well and rowing clean, which is encouraging. Reischman says the times show some improvement for the B and C fours. “They looked better,” he said. “But they’re not there yet.
Women’s Coach Kris Sanford said her top crews did not deal with the tough conditions as well as she’d have liked. “We have to be able to handle wind and torrential whiteout rain when it comes,” Sanford said. Still she was upbeat. Sanford has been putting the women’s team through some brutal workouts this fall and she says the athletes have responded very well. “I love this team,” she said. “I’m thrilled with what they’ve been doing.”
The men’s A boat was all juniors – the same guys who were the stern four and cox in their freshman boat in the spring of ’08 – Mike Gennaro stroking, the Berry Brothers Dan and Vince at three and bow and Dan Turner at two. Kenny Marfilius coxed.
Reischman said consistency was the key to handling the conditions. "Its' always changing," he said. "The water was pretty flat at the start but then you'd come around a corner and the wind would punch you right in the face."
For the women’s A four, Lydia Wong coxed, Sydney Axson was stroke. Susan Groff at three, Allison Ehrke and two and Natalie Mastracci in bow.
Just about everybody on both squads got into one of the varsity fours ot a freshman eight.
Other schools competing were Colgate, Rochester and Marist along with UB and Cornell.
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